Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1887-03-26
WASHINGTON LETTER.
Some Idea Of The Work a Real Live
Congressman Has 10 Do
VOluminOus Correspondence.
How Business is Conducted in the Office
Room for the Use of the United
States Treasurer.

Correspondence Of the Gazette.
WASHINGTON, March 20.-TheIe are
still in the city number of congressman
who have work to do in the departments.
Almost every day in the week they are
met in the corridors Of the public build
ings with a bundle Of papers and memo
randa under their arms. One OF these
gentlemen was seen by your correspond
emit this morning as he came from the
Treasury department, and knowing that
he had an extensive business interest to
attend to at home l asked him why he
didn't pack up hisbelongings and leave as
so many of the others has done. In
reply ne invited NE to his room at
the hotel. When we entered the room
he pointed to pile Of letters on the table
in the center "Tnere," said he, sis my
mornings mail; / want you to count the
letters and look over their contents" |
did so. There were fifty-three letters,
every one of which called for 8 direct an
swer, as well as for a visit to one or the
other of the departments. o. the fifty
three only one contained a stamp for the
reply. Ny congressional friend re-
marked: "That is the second stamp l
have had this winter. | use on an aver
age fifty a day, and of course pay for
them out OF my own funds, although in
not one case in twenty have | ever
seen or heard of my correspond
ent before" One OF these letters was
from young man who desired
a place in the printing office. He sent
the Endorsement Of the ward committee
as well as that of the president of
social club. Another came from widow
whose son had enlisted in the regular
army, and who was very anxious to
secure his discharge, as she had no other
means of support than his earnings. The
fourth asked the member to see the Score
tarv of the Navy and induce him to COM
mute the sentence of Imprisonment for
four months which an intoxicated sailor
had brought upon himself. Twenty seven
of the tlfty-three were requests for infOr-
nation touching certain pension claims.
Five correspondents desired packages of
seeds from the Agricultural department.
One man gave list of few of the gov
eminent publications which he was 6nX-
ious to secure The list embraced nearly
every work of value which the govern
ment has ever published; and to have
supplied even half the wants of this man
would have taken 80 per cent. of my con
gressional friends salary for the Vear.
a school teacher desired a map of the
United States. A somewhat prominent
politician from this gentleman's state de-
sired his service in securing the pardon
of a cousin of the aforesaid poll
tician who had, during a moment OF
temporary indiscretiOn, broken into the
house of another constituent OF the con-
gresham, and had packed up and carried
of all he could find of value therein. The
other letters all asked for congressional
and LUprp moro paSilU
swered than any others. CHOW do you
rid yourself of this correspondence" |
asked: at must take great deal of your
time to simply reply to these letters" 81
have adopted plan Of nv Own," was the
reply. ''When | first came here l used
to dictate an answer to each one to my
stenOgrapher; he used to write the letters
and / would sign them. Now | do not
dictate more than two or three a day.
My clerk is a very valuable young
man and he reads all these letters
before look at them. He answers every
thing out those which relate to matters of
which he has no knowledge. These he
turns over to me and dictate my answer
back to him. By this means | am relieved
of q great deal of labor. The only in
struCtiOns | give him are that he answer
everything as briefly as possible and never
commit me IN anything. But still work
steadily from in the morning until 2 in
the afternoon in the departments, and
until leave here | shall have to continue
to do So"
The Office of the United States Treasu-
rer is now practically vacant, although
Mr.. Jordan's resignation does not take
effect until April /. Mr.. Jordan's office,
however, is occupied. People who have
-
government, and who do not know that
Mr.. Whelpley is Acting Treasurer, open
the door of the room formerly occupied
by Mr.. Jordan, and naturally inquire
where they shall be directed
to the Treasurer's Office. Just
inside the door is screen Gov
cred with brown cloth which is very
similar to those sometimes placed within
the door of bar-room. Behind this, and
little TO the right, a comfortable look
ing sofa is set against the wall. On this
sofa, during the past few days, a young
man has been stretched who kindly
answers questions relating to the office.
he has very peculiar drawl ana an air
OF great resignation. He invariably
squints at the visitor, then removes
blnoculRr from the hook on
which it hangs, inserts it in his
right eye, and after gazing
for moment at his questioner, answers
the question in as few words as possible,
and removes the eye g.ass, again covers
his face with q newspaper and settles
himself once more for nap. This is not
very business-like method, but it is the
way in which business is conducted in the
office-room devoted to the use of the
United States Treasurer.